Singing Cherokee – Rattlesnake Annie

Her own name is Annie McGowan. She was born in December 26, 1941 in Puryear, Tennessee as Rosan Gallimore. She comes from Indian’s family – Cherokee. The family was pure, she grew between acres of tobacco and cotton plants near Puryear.

She sang and played on piano in the Church. From 1954 she presented herself with group Gallimore Sisters in program Junior Grand Ole Opry. She marriaged with Max McGowan. Later Annie came to Memphis and sang blues on Beale Street. She traveled through American South and finished this tour through America in Austin, where she met Will Nelson, Bill Joe Shaver and David Allan Coe. In 1980 she recorded her own great album Rattlesnake And Rusty Water, where you can also find John Hartford, Josh Graves, Vassar Clements, Charlie McCoy. This album is combination of traditional country and blues.

Annie is the first country singer from the West, who recorded album in communistic Czechoslovakia (Last cowboy, in 1982, with Michal Tučný). In 1987 she signed contract with Columbia Record and recorded some single albums (Indian Dream, Rattlesnake Annie Sings Hank Williams). A few years she lived with her husband in Spain. It was exactly she, who brought traditional country to Japan.

In 1995 she recorded in Czech production album Adios Last Cowboy as tribute of memory to Michal Tučný.